[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

You know the road well so its alright. But if you don't travel on it very often, it is impossible to remember where the humps are.

The discussion here was about using the hazard lights and not memorizing the location of speed breakers.

almost every other car turned on its hazard lights when it was near the infamous speed breakers on this highway.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

So you see them at the last moment and that causes panic braking. And many a time, one ends up giving the suspension a very hard knock.

Well that's something you and I gotto live with it if we are ahead of the herd on the highway. I generally try and avoid any form of panic breaking at such instances unless its a humongous speed breaker like the one I mentioned before. Simply tend to avoid panic braking when the road humps are small.

IIRC most of the humps along this route is pretty small when compared to the ones in Mandya and Srirangapattana towns.Mostly coz of the fact that these have been put up by the locals to slow down traffic at their villages.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Besides, if someone else is tailgating you (something you cannot control) this hazard light thing helps again.

You have a point here .

Ok back to the discussion, we are way off topic here .

[Spitfire]

Whatever happened to maintaining a safe distance?

What next loudspeakers on car roofs to shout - STOP!! STOP!! when we apply brakes?

[A350XWB]

I'm a regular user of the Bangalore Mysore highway. The problem of keeping a safe distance is that it never really is safe. If you keep a safe distance from somebody in front, somebody else will squeeze in between you and the car in the front. But if everybody follows a proper distance, it'll help a lot.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by ranjith.rajaram

+1, hazard lights + breaking.

Always safe to use it from the maniacs driving on the high way, it’s safe of you as well they bumping on the car. It has become a common practice for me on cities, I use them extensively on intersection, cross roads, parking places, Malls.

If you use the hazard lights extensively on intersections, you'll confuse people on which way you'd turn.

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Whatever happened to maintaining a safe distance?

Exactly what I was trying to say earlier.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Folks primarily in a country like India why do we even tail cars so close ?

Originally Posted by Spitfire

What next loudspeakers on car roofs to shout - STOP!! STOP!! when we apply brakes?

Definitely would be on the list in a few months from now. I wouldn't be surprised if a thread came up on the same lines

[Ranjan Sharma]

Hasn't anyone seen this earlier?

I have come across so many Sumos who use this. Specially cab drivers, it's more of dancing/disco lights

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

somebody else will squeeze in between you and the car in the front.

Valid observation. Blame it on our total lack of driving sense. Let such people pass and stick to your lane. You will arrive a few minutes late but you will arrive non stressed.

Trying to cover the gap between you and the vehicle in front so that no one else gets in is really stressful, not worth it.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Exactly what I was trying to say earlier.

I get pissed by these indeginious use of indicators, headlights and what not. They are not meant for that. Period.

Now we have a situation in Bangalore where if you turn on your headlights its your right to go down the wrong side of the road.

Figure that out. Please do not give encouragement to this useless practises.

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Valid observation. Blame it on our total lack of driving sense. Let such people pass and stick to your lane. You will arrive a few minutes late but you will arrive non stressed.

Trying to cover the gap between you and the vehicle in front so that no one else gets in is really stressful, not worth it.

I know. That's why I stopped doing that and usually, I try to drive on the left lane and use the right lane only for overtaking. What I've found is that I have less "competition" (drivers trying to squeeze in) on the left lane and it's much more relaxed driving.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

I get pissed by these indeginious use of indicators, headlights and what not. They are not meant for that. Period.

Now we have a situation in Bangalore where if you turn on your headlights its your right to go down the wrong side of the road.

Figure that out. Please do not give encouragement to this useless practises.

I totally agree with you here. Same as using turn indicators to allow passing.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

I totally agree with you here. Same as using turn indicators to allow passing.

Using Turn indicators while passing always reminds me of no other road than the (in)famous Mysore-Bangalore stretch where there are so many maniacs who not only drive on the fast lane and block others from overtaking but when signalled to overtake, they would look at the mirror after 5-6 honks and flashes, Turn their left Indicators and then expect we intelligent folks to overtake from left!!

It is so famous on this stretch (each time I have travelled) that whenever I have folks accompanying me, we bet that from the dirving style that he'll never move left and will also turn his left indicator and still would want us to overtake from left, Bravo!!!

For folks who have not seen this "special highway driving etiquette", take them on the Mysore-Bangalore highway on a Saturday Morning or Sunday evening for some fun for all these actions to watch out for free.

I am sure more of such threads will get dedicated to this SH on various topics.

[rohan_iitr]

Don't vehicles already have a brake light to signal to the vehicles behind that the vehicle is stopping or reducing speed.

If the vehicle behind you is being driven at reasonable speeds and maintaining proper speed, the driver can always spot the brake light and stop in time (provided your brake lights are working).

If the vehicle behind you is being driven by a moron who is overspeeding and/or not maintaining proper distance, even the blinkers can't save you from being rear-ended.

Lets keep things simple and uniform:
- Blinkers are meant for hazard situations only
- Indicators are meant for turning/changing lanes

Drive safe, let the speed maniacs pass you and collide with someone else (hopefully with another speed maniac). With such speed maniacs on the road, accidents can't be prevented. But you can reduce the chances of being involved in one by driving safe yourself.

Rohan

[rvmohankumar]

wish to add a few points,( Some maybe OT )

Bangalore mysore Highway is one of the accident prone road because of many bad shaped humps, missing road and warning signs, barricades placed ay many junctions, crowded town junctions, many cabs and yellow board vehicles with least courtesy and traffic sense, many car owners thinking that this road is some F1 circuit.

I have been using this road from last 5 years on average 3 times a month (highest being 4 times in one week ) and i have seen how this road has transformed. it was a pleasure driving through this road earlier and now it is a pain. I used to cover the distance in 2.5 hours earlier and now it is more than 4 hours.

EArlier there were many patches where both sides traffic were let into one side and many accidents because of that ( even now near kengal temple we have this problem existing ).
overall things are good now but the only trouble is increase in volume of traffic on weekends.

And the towns like ramnagara, chennapatna, mandya are busy with pedestrians and two wheelers plus many aggressive cab and yellow board drivers trying to squeeze and make their way in slow speed also.

I follow these basic steps towards safe journey.

Leave early in the morning to avoid major traffic.
Keep a moderate speed ( 60-70 ) till i exit city limits (Kengeri junction).
Slowdown near all major towns ( most of the humps are in these locations )
maintain safe distance from vehicle at front
If i find some aggressive driver wanting to squeeze in, I JUST LET GO.
Maintain the right lane always with speed ranging from 80-100 because the left lane is too dangerous since most of the 2 wheelers, tractors and bullock carts use this lane and it becomes difficult to overtake.
If someone signals from behind to overtake me, i change my lane using indicators and come back to the right lane once the vehicle has passed

If i find some suprise humps then i will try to slow down ( not hard braking ) till it is safe enough for me to just go over the hump. It is safe this way than braking hard and getting hit from back.

I try to Avoid peak hour traffic ( Sunday eveing ride back to bangalore ). Either leave early or leave late
And i use the horns and light moderately at all median breaks and town areas to warn pedestrians and slow moving vehicles.
If it starts raining badly and visibility is less i try to find a petrol bunk or some large area in the sideways to halt my car. I avoid the pavement since it is not safe.
I take the Nice road to reach the city back since this way i can avoid some traffic and save some time.
But i never use hazard lights near humps or to indicate that i am slowing down, and i dont use turn signals to indicate COME OVERTAKE ME or even when i park. ( i use parking lights ) i have used hazard lights only when my vehicle was parked on road due to flat tyre or only when it was raining hard and visibility was less.

Inspite of all these i have had some accidents

A bike hit my car from back when i was standing still near chennapatna,

A tempo hit my car from left again when i was standing still in the traffic light just before entering mysore

A scooter got a tyre punctured and came from left to right lane immediately. i applied brakes but it took 100 mts for my car to stop just before it knocked the scooter midly. nothing happened to anyone but my front plastice bumper tore off.

apart from these i have managed safe journeys till now and luckily only one tyre puncture.

[djay99]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

So you see them at the last moment and that causes panic braking. And many a time, one ends up giving the suspension a very hard knock.

This happened with me couple of times. While driving on late nights, suddenly these speed breakers appear without any sign. Once i jumped a speedbreaker and later realized about it as it was invisible in the dark night.

Now i keep one eye on road and one eye searching for a speedbreaker

On some Highways, i have seen signboards just next to speedbreaker. You can only notice them if you are on a highbeam.

[sanju.iitm]

Originally Posted by raghu230506

As long as it works it's fine.

I had a bitter experience, while driving my new ANHC at the time it was just a month old and I was on my way to Mysore. Car infront of me applied breaks because of hump, I didn't realize and had to break hard, but one poor old chap even with a considerable distance between us couldn't manage to break his Xing in time and banged my bumper. It just ended up with a slip of bumper, but it disturbed my family and they couldn't enjoy our first pitstop, bird sanctury, it took some time for them to come out if it.

Sorry to know the bitter experience. Finally did the Santro guy paid you for hitting your bumper?any heated arguments?

[VTEC_Rocks]

I had a close call on SH 17, the humps are put by the villagers and not by the highway authorities. You cannot spot these small humps while driving at decent speeds.
On Saturday, I was traveling towards Mysore, I saw one of these humps and gradually Braked, a cab guy who was a good distance did not see me brake for some reason and jammed his brakes, the qualis started to screech.

At that moment I realized he'll not be able to stop, I had to drop a gear and step on the gas eventually flying over the hump with a bad thud and swirled the car to the left to give him space to flyby.

Thankfully I got out of his way at the right time.

[speedsatya]

One of the most dangerous roads that I have ever driven on .Dont know which !#!#@ planned this road.Even though this road is four-laned with a divider in between,I would say this road is more dangerous than any 2 laned NH.

You have speedbreakers on blind turns ,you have crossings at fast blind turns ,you have trucks parked on blind turns ,you have cops stopping trucks in the night on blind turns .......the list goes on.You can see tire marks at almost every crossing on a curve.

And everytime ,I drive here ,I do see someone have a close call at these crossings

And ,you have a new speedbreaker coming up every day !!!

I never exceed 120 kph on this road except for the stretch from mandya to srirangapatna where you can stretch your cars legs .

Its extremely dangerous when a new driver in a fast car (all cars these days are fast !!) takes this SH in the night.


And yeah ,I forgot to add the dangerous spots of Kamat (channpatna),CCD (Maddur)